Cranberry-picker.



UNITED STATES lPATEN T OFFIOE.

DENNIS E. RAYMOND, OF PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO G. R. BRIGGS, OF PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.

oRANBERRY-PICER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. August 21, 1907.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Serial N0. 389,479.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS E. RAYMOND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plymouth, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Cranberry-Pickers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like arts.

p This invention relates to cranberry pickers of the scoop type which comprises sides, a tooth-sustaining block connectingr the sides, and teeth supported in said block and extending forwardly therefrom. Cranberry pickers of this type are usually made with the teeth extending forwardl from and supported by ablock which exten s between the sides near the bottom thereof, the space between said block and top being filled by a suitable backing. Said cranberry pickers are also usually made with the bottom of the teeth in the same plane as thebottom edge of the sides. In using cranberry pickers of this type, the scoop is thrust into the vines and then the device is rocked backwardly so as to cause the front ends of the teeth to swing upwardly,

said teeth operating to strip the berries from the vine during this movement. Where the teeth-supporting block is situated at the bottom of the scoop, as is now commonly done, the vines are very apt to catch on the front corner ofthe block during the rocking movement ofthe scoop and thus be torn up by the roots. Further, where the bottom of the teeth are in the same plane as the bottom of the sides, any cranberries which happen to be beneath the icker while it is thus rocked are very apt to e crushed.

One of the objects of my present invention is to improve cranberry pickers of this type by so locating the tooth-sustaining block that the vines cannot catch thereon during the rocking movement of the scoop, and another object is to rovide such a construction that any cran erries which may be beneath the picker will not be crushed during the rocking movement thereof. Y

I will iirst describe one embodiment of my invention, and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cranberry picker embodying my iBnvention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line cuna,

The cranberrypicker, as shown, comprises the usual side pieces 3 which are connected at their upper edge by the cross-pieces L1, the handle 5 which is secured to said crosspieces, and the teeth 6 which are situated between the side pieces. The space between the cross-pieces is covered by a top piece 21 of fabric or other suitable material. As stated above, the teeth in cranberry pickers of this type are usually secured in a toothsustaining blocklocated at the bottom of the sides at the back of the picker, and one disadvantage which is inherent in a construction of this nature is that the front edge of said block catches in the vines and is apt to tear them up by the roots.

In my present invention I support the teeth 6 in a tooth-sustaining block 7 which is placed at the upper portion of the sides directly beneath the rear cross-piece 4, said block extending from one side to the other and being suitably secured in place. The teeth 6 which may be secured in this block in any suitable way are curved upwardly at 11 where they enter the block 7, and the upwardly-curved portions 1l of the teeth and said block form the back side of the scoop.

Fig. 2 shows how the scoop is used, said figure showing in full lines the position of the scoop when it is inserted into the cranberry vines, and the dotted lines showing its position when it is rocked backwardly to strip the berries from the vines. From this figure it is plainly apparent that in my'improved device the tooth-sustaining block 1s situated above the vines and in such a position that the vines will not catch on it and thus be torn from the roots. Further in my improved scoop the bottom edges l0 of the sides 3 extend below the teeth, as best seen in Fig. 2, and the extended portions of the sides form rocking supports on which the scoop is sustained while it is tilted backwardly to strip the berries from the vines. Since these portions 1 0 of the sides extend below the teeth, they will operate to sustain the teeth 6 sufliciently above the ground so that any cranberries which may happen to be located beneath said teeth will not be crushed by the teeth during the backward tilting movement of the scoop. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the sides 10 are extended beyond the teeth both beneath and back of the latter, as shown at l() and 12, the

extended portion 12 of the sides operating to sustain the scoop when it is tilted backwardly in the dotted line position. The points 9 of the sides are preferably made with a gradual taper so as to facilitate the entrance of the scoop into the vines.

I have not attempted to illustrate herein allembodiments of my invention, but have shown the preferred embodiment only.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A cranberry picker having sides, a tooth-sustaining block situated at the back of the sides adjacent the top thereof, and teeth sustained by said block, said teeth extending downwardly from the block and then forwardly.

2. A cranberry picker having two sides, a cross-piece 4 connecting the sides, a toothsustaining block .between the sides immediately below the cross piece, and teeth eXtend ing forwardly from said block, the lower edges 10 of the sides being convexedlycurved and extending below the teeth to form rockers on which the picker may be supported.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DENNIS E. RAYMOND.

Iitnesses z SoPHRoNrA C. MonrssEY, ALMA F. MoRIssEY. 

